After retiring as a player, Reed served as assistant and head coach with several teams for nearly a decade, then was promoted to General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations (1989 to 1996) for the New Jersey Nets, as Senior Vice President of Basketball, he led them to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.[3]

The New York Knicks selected Reed in the second round, with the eighth overall selection, in the 1964 NBA draft. Reed quickly made a name as a fierce, dominating and physical force on both ends of the floor; in March 1965, he scored 46 points against the Los Angeles Lakers, the second highest single-game total ever by a Knicks rookie. For the season, he ranked seventh in the NBA in scoring (19.5 points per game) and fifth in rebounding (14.7 rebounds per game). He also began his string of All-Star appearances and won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award while also being named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

Reed proved to be a clutch playoff performer throughout his career, he gave an early indication of this in 1966–67 when he bettered his regular-season average of 20.9 points per game by scoring 27.5 points per contest in the postseason.

He played center, despite his relatively average stature for a basketball player, he made up for his lack of height by playing a physical game, often ending seasons with respectable averages in blocking and rebounding. He stood 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) when contemporaries such as Wilt Chamberlain stood 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m).

The team continued to struggle for a few years while adding good players through trades and the draft. Dick McGuire was replaced as coach with Red Holzman, midway through the 1967–68 season. The Knicks had gone 15–22 under McGuire; Holzman steered them to a 28–17 finish. In 1968, New York's record was 43–39, its first winning record since 1958–59.[citation needed]

Reed continued to make annual appearances in the NBA All-Star Game. By this time, he was playing power forward, in order to make room for Walt Bellamy. Reed averaged 11.6 rebounds in 1965–66 and 14.6 in 1966–67, both top-10 marks in the league. By the latter season, he had adjusted to the nuances of his new position, averaging 20.9 points to rank eighth in the NBA.[citation needed]

In 1968–69, New York held opponents to a league-low 105.2 points per game. With Reed clogging the middle and Walt Frazier pressuring the ball, the Knicks would be the best defensive club in the league for five of the next six seasons.

Reed scored 21.1 points per game in 1968–69 and grabbed a franchise record 1,191 rebounds, an average of 14.5 rebounds per game.

Reed's most famous performance took place on May 8, 1970, during Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers in Madison Square Garden. Due to a severe thigh injury, a torn muscle that had previously kept him out of Game 6, he was considered unlikely to play in Game 7. Yet Reed surprised the fans by walking onto the court during warmups, prompting widespread applause. Starting the game, he scored the Knicks' first two field goals on his first two shot attempts, his only points of the game. Following the game in the winner's locker room, a moved Howard Cosell told Reed on national television, "You exemplify the very best that the human spirit can offer."[5]

The Knicks slipped to 52-30 in the 1970–71 season, still good enough for first place in the Atlantic Division; and in mid-season, Reed tied Harry Gallatin's all-time club record by hauling in 33 rebounds against the Cincinnati Royals. Once again, Reed started in the All-Star game, for the season, he averaged 20.9 ppg and 13.7 rpg, but the Knicks were eliminated by the Baltimore Bullets in the Eastern Conference Finals. In 1971–72, Reed was bothered by tendinitis in his left knee, limiting his mobility, he missed two weeks early in the season and returned, but shortly thereafter the injured knee prohibited him from playing, and he totaled 11 games for the year. Without Reed, the Knicks still managed to make the NBA Finals, but were defeated in five games by the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 1972–73 Knicks finished the season with a 57-25 record and went on to win another NBA title. Reed was less of a contributor than he was two seasons earlier; in 69 regular-season games, he averaged only 11.0 points. In the playoffs, the Knicks beat Baltimore and upset the Boston Celtics, and once more faced the Lakers in the finals, after losing the first game, the Knicks captured four straight, claiming their second NBA Championship with a 102–93 victory in Game 5. Reed was named NBA Finals MVP.

Reed's career was cut short by injuries, and he retired after the 1973–74 season, his tenth, for his career, Reed averaged 18.7 points and 12.9 rebounds per game, playing 650 games. He played in seven All-Star Games.

Reed spent several years coaching before moving into general management, he coached the Knicks in 1977–1978, and left the team 14 games into the following season (49-47 record). He was head coach at Creighton University from 1981–1985 and volunteer assistant coach for St. John's University. Reed also served as an assistant coach for the NBA's Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks.

Reed debuted as head coach of the New Jersey Nets on March 1, 1988, one week after the Nets' star forward and his cousin, Orlando Woolridge, was suspended by the league and was to undergo drug rehabilitation,[6] he compiled a 33–77 record with the Nets. In 1989, he was hired as the Nets' General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations (1989 to 1996), during this time, he drafted Derrick Coleman and Kenny Anderson, acquired Dražen Petrović, and gave the Nets a playoff contender throughout the early 1990s. Reed hired Chuck Daly to coach the Nets for 1992–93 and 1993–94; in 1996, Reed moved to the position of Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations, with the continued goal of building the Nets into a championship contender. The Nets made the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.

Reed next took the position of Vice President of Basketball Operations with the New Orleans Hornets in 2004, he retired from that position in 2007.[7]

1.
Bernice, Louisiana
–
Bernice is a town in Union Parish, Louisiana. The population was 1,689 at the 2010 census, a decrease from 1,809 at the 2000 census and it is part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area. The area was part of the Louisiana frontier and pine forests, moore/Gresham/Stenzel House, known as the Sweet Onion, and McCuller Log Cabin, both circa 1865. Bernice was established in 1899 as a town after Captain C. C. Henderson built the Arkansas Southern Railroad. Also an agricultural center, Bernice is the youngest European-American town to be founded in the parish. The area was known as the big woods because of its stands of huge virgin pine. Henderson built the railroad to enable harvesting of lumber from the area, moving south from Junction City, he directed construction of the railroad to Winnfield. Henderson sought to purchase property about a mile north of the present town from Henry Mabry, Henderson moved south and bought land from Allen Lowery and Dave Cole. He named his acquisition for Lowerys infant daughter, Bernice, on a late spring day, Henderson auctioned lots for the planned community. According to Mabrys son Brooks, he and his brother furnished water for the momentous event and we hauled water from up there where Preacher Burns wife is living now, in a wagon, and put it in tubs on stumps along there on every corner. He had the laid off. my brother. and myself would go round. Bernice was incorporated that year, and the railroad depot was built soon after. A1901 picture of Louisiana Street includes the depot, and a c.1905 interior photograph shows the agent, restored, today the station is operated as the Depot Museum, displaying a collection of Bernice memorabilia. It also serves as a tourist information center, jake Crews was the first mayor. He was a contractor who built many of the earliest homes, other turn-of-the century structures are the Cook/Minter House, the John Roach House and the Rives/Lindsey Hotel. The first brick home in town was the Pollock/Martin House, which dates from the 1920s, the circa 1895 Alabama Methodist Church is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Lynn Log House was moved to its present location and reconstructed from an antebellum dogtrot house that stood across the road. Captain Henderson donated land to the town to be named Oakhurst Park and it was filled with oak trees surrounding a gazebo where public functions were held during the early years

2.
Lillie, Louisiana
–
Lillie is a village in Union Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 118 at the 2010 census, a decrease from 139 at the 2000 census and it is part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to a 2007 report, Lillie was named one of the 10 worst speed traps in the state of Louisiana, Lillie made 85. 59% of its revenue, an average of roughly $508 per capita population, from fines and forfeitures in the 2005 fiscal year. Lillie is located at 32°55′13″N 92°39′42″W, according to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.9 square miles. 1.9 square miles of it is land and 0.04 square miles of it is water, as of the census of 2000, there were 139 people,54 households, and 36 families residing in the village. The population density was 72.3 inhabitants per square mile, there were 65 housing units at an average density of 33.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the village was 72. 66% White,23. 74% African American,2. 88% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 4. 32% of the population. 29. 6% of all households were made up of individuals and 20. 4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.24. In the village, the population was out with 20. 9% under the age of 18,13. 7% from 18 to 24,23. 7% from 25 to 44,24. 5% from 45 to 64. The median age was 39 years, for every 100 females there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males, the median income for a household in the village was $29,167, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had an income of $28,750 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income for the village was $14,404, there were 5. 0% of families and 10. 6% of the population living below the poverty line, including 6. 3% of under eighteens and 8. 0% of those over 64. Lillie Progress Community Progress Site for Lillie, Louisiana

3.
Grambling State Tigers men's basketball
–
The Grambling State Tigers mens basketball team represents Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana. The schools team competes in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. They are currently led by head coach Shawn Walker and play their games at the Fredrick C. During their time as a member of the NAIA, they were champions in 1961. The 2012–13 team became the eighth NCAA Division I team to finish a season winless, the Tigers have appeared in two NCAA Division II Tournaments. The Tigers have appeared in seven NAIA Tournaments and their combined record is 15–6 and were NAIA national champions in 1961. The Tigers have appeared in one National Invitation Tournament, list of NCAA Division I mens basketball programs Website

4.
1964 NBA draft
–
The 1964 NBA draft was the 18th annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on May 4,1964, before the 1964–65 season, in this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his class graduated. In each round, the teams select in order of their win–loss record in the previous season. Before the draft, a team could forfeit its first-round draft pick, the draft consisted of 15 rounds comprising 101 players selected. Mahdi Abdul-Rahman and George Wilson were selected before the draft as Los Angeles Lakers, jim Barnes from Texas Western College was selected first overall by the New York Knicks. Willis Reed from Grambling College, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, was selected eight overall by the New York Knicks. Reed has been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and was named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the leagues 50th anniversary in 1996. Reed, who spent all of his 10-year playing career with the Knicks, in both NBA Finals, he was named as the Finals MVP. He also won the Most Valuable Player Award in 1970 and was selected to five All-NBA Teams and he became a head coach after ending his playing career. He coached the Knicks for two seasons and then the New Jersey Nets for two seasons, paul Silas, the 10th pick, won three NBA championships, two with the Boston Celtics in 1974 and 1976 and one with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979. He also had two All-Star Game selections, after his playing career, he coached three NBA teams, most recently with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jerry Sloan, the 19th pick, was selected to two All-Star Games in his career before becoming a head coach. He coached the Chicago Bulls for three seasons before being fired during the 1981–82 season and he then became the head coach of the Utah Jazz in 1988, the position he held until resigning in early 2011. He has been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach, Abdul-Rahman, 2nd pick Joe Caldwell, 4th pick Lucious Jackson and 5th pick Jeff Mullins are the only other players from this draft who have been selected to an All-Star Game. John Thompson, the 25th pick, has also inducted to the Basketball Hall of Hame as a coach. After finishing his career, he became a successful college basketball head coach at Georgetown University

5.
New York Knicks
–
The New York Knickerbockers, commonly referred to as the Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in New York City. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Association as a club of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its games at Madison Square Garden, located in the borough of Manhattan. They are one of two NBA teams located in New York City, the other is the Brooklyn Nets, along with the Boston Celtics, the Knicks are one of only two original NBA teams still located in its original city. The Knicks were successful during their years and were constant playoff contenders under the franchises first head coach Joe Lapchick. Beginning in 1950, the Knicks made three appearances in the NBA Finals, all of which were losing efforts. Lapchick resigned in 1956 and the team began to falter. It was not until the late 1960s when Red Holzman became head coach that the Knicks began to regain their former dominance, Holzman successfully guided the Knicks to two NBA championships, in 1970 and 1973. The Knicks of the 1980s had mixed success that included six playoff appearances, however, the playoff-level Knicks of the 1990s were led by future Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing, this era was marked by passionate rivalries with the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, and Miami Heat. During this time, they were known for playing tough defense under head coaches Pat Riley, during this era, the Knicks made two appearances in the NBA Finals, in 1994 and 1999, though they were unable to win an NBA championship. Since 2000, the Knicks have struggled to regain their former glory, in 2012–13, the franchise won its first division title in 19 years, but was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers. According to a 2016 Forbes report, the Knicks were the most-valuable NBA franchise, in 1946, basketball, particularly college basketball, was a growing and increasingly profitable sport in New York City. Hockey was another sport at the time and generated considerable profits, however. Max Kase, a New York sportswriter, became the editor at the Boston American in the 1930s. Kase developed the idea of a professional league to showcase college players upon their graduation. Brown, intrigued by the opportunity to attain additional income when the teams were not playing or on the road. Ned Irish, a college basketball promoter, retired sportswriter and then president of Madison Square Garden, was in attendance, Kase originally planned to own and operate the New York franchise himself and approached Irish with a proposal to lease the Garden. Irish explained that the rules of the Arena Managers Association of America stated that Madison Square Garden was required to own any professional teams played in the arena

6.
Center (basketball)
–
The center, also known as the five or the big man, is one of the five positions in a regular basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a deal of strength. The tallest player to ever be drafted in the NBA was the 78 Yasutaka Okayama from Japan, the tallest players to ever play in the NBA, at 77, are centers Gheorghe Mureșan and Manute Bol. Standing at 72, Margo Dydek is the tallest player to have played in the WNBA. The center is considered a component for a successful team. But recently, the NBA has turned into a point guard league, great centers have been the foundation for most of the dynasties in both the NBA and NCAA. In the 1960s, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain further transformed basketball by combining height with a level of athleticism than previous centers. Following the retirement of George Mikan, the rivalry of the two big men came to dominate the NBA, many of the records set by these two players have endured today. Most notably, Chamberlain and Russell hold the top eighteen season averages for rebounds, Bill Russell led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive NCAA Championships. He joined the Boston Celtics and helped make them one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history, Russell revolutionized defensive strategy with his shot-blocking, rebounding and physical man-to-man defense. His principal rival, Wilt Chamberlain, listed at 71,275 pounds, Chamberlain played college ball for the Kansas Jayhawks, leading them to the 1957 title game against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Although the Jayhawks lost by one point in overtime, Chamberlain was named the tournaments Most Outstanding Player. He also won seven scoring titles, eleven rebounding titles, and four regular season Most Valuable Player awards, including the distinction, in 1960, stronger than any player of his era, he was usually capable of scoring and rebounding at will. Most notably, Chamberlain is the player in NBA history to average more than 50 points in a season. He also holds the NBAs all-time records for rebounding average, rebounds in a single game, in contrast to the Celtics dynasty of the 1960s, the 1970s were a decade of parity in the NBA, with eight different champions and no back-to-back winners. At the college level, the UCLA Bruins, under Coach John Wooden, built the greatest dynasty in NCAA basketball history, UCLA had already won two consecutive titles in 1964 and 1965 with teams that pressed and emphasized guard play. After not winning in 1966, Woodens teams changed their style when Lew Alcindor became eligible and he led UCLA to three championships-in 1967,68 and 69-while winning the first Naismith College Player of the Year Award. During his college career, the NCAA enacted a ban on dunking primarily because of Alcindors dominant use of the shot

7.
Power forward (basketball)
–
The power forward, also known as the four, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. It has also referred to as the post position. Power forwards play a similar to that of center in what is called the post or low blocks. They typically play offensively with their backs towards the basket and position themselves defensively under the basket in a defense or against the opposing power forward in man-to-man defense. The power forward position entails a variety of responsibilities, one of which is rebounding, many power forwards are noted for their mid-range jump-shot, and several players have become very accurate from 12 to 18 feet. Earlier, these skills were more typically exhibited in the European style of play, some power forwards, known as stretch fours, have since extended their shooting range to three-point field goals. In the NBA, power forwards usually range from 68 to 611, despite the averages, a variety of players fit tweener roles which finds them in the small forward and/or center position depending upon matchups and coaching decisions. Some natural power forwards often play the position and have the skills

8.
Creighton Bluejays men's basketball
–
The Creighton Bluejays mens basketball team is the NCAA Division I mens basketball program of Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. They currently compete in the Big East Conference, the Bluejays have won a record 15 MVC regular season conference titles and a record 12 MVC Conference Tournament titles. The team has 20 appearances in the NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Tournament, the Jays last played in the NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Tournament in 2017. The Bluejays all-time record is 1, 444–964, the Bluejays play their home games at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Creighton finished sixth nationally in attendance, averaging 17,048 fans per home game in 2014–15. Before joining the Big East, Creighton had been a member of the Missouri Valley Conference until June 30,2013, the Jays participated as an independent from 1948 to 1977 before rejoining the MVC. Arthur Schabinger took over the program after Kearneys graduation and he guided the team into its first conference, the North Central Conference, in 1923. His teams would win 4 titles in the league, in 1928, Shabinger would again guide Creighton to another conference, the Missouri Valley Conference. Creightons winningest mens basketball coach for 75 years, Arthur A. Schabinger helped build the Creighton basketball program, Schabinger posted a 165-66 record as coach of the Bluejays from 1922 to 1935. Eleven of his 13 teams finished first or second in the league, Eddie Hickey took over the program for the 1935–36 season. Hickey was reared in small-town Nebraska and graduated from Creighton University School of Law in 1926, sawed-off at 55, Edward The Little Giant Hickey was a dynamic chunky man who had quarterbacked Creighton university football in the Roaring 20s. He was enamored more by the game he could if not, obviously lacking size. He was the coach of both the football and basketball teams at Creighton Preparatory for eight years before moving to Creighton University. Hickey was a master of the fast-break and winning and he immediately led the Bluejays to the Missouri Valley title in his first season. Their fast break – controlled fast break Eddie would emphasize sarcastically – featured an explosive movement that required the ball not to hit the floor. The Little Giant would take Creighton to new heights by the early 1940s, with 1943 Consensus First Team All American Ed Beisser in the middle, Hickey would lead the Jays to their first NCAA Tournament and two National Invitation Tournaments, including a Final Four in 1942. With his flair for run-sheep-run basketball, Hickey and his teams were a show in the Big Apple. World War II would briefly suspend Creightons basketball program and Hickey would return to coach for one year after the war before moving on to St. Louis

9.
Brooklyn Nets
–
The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association as a club of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its games at Barclays Center. They are one of two NBA teams located in New York City, the other are the New York Knicks, the team was established in 1967 as a charter franchise of the NBAs rival league, the American Basketball Association. They played in New Jersey as the New Jersey Americans during their first season, before moving to Long Island in 1968, during this time, the Nets won two ABA championships. In 1976, the ABA merged with the NBA, and the Nets were absorbed into the NBA along with three other ABA teams, in 1977, the team returned to New Jersey and played as the New Jersey Nets from 1977 to 2012. During this time, the Nets won two consecutive Eastern Conference championships, but failed to win a league title, in the summer of 2012, the team moved to Barclays Center, and took its current geographic name. The Brooklyn Nets were founded in 1967 and initially played in Teaneck, New Jersey, in its early years, the team led a nomadic existence, moving to Long Island in 1968 and playing in various arenas there as the New York Nets. Led by Hall of Famer Julius Dr. J Erving, the Nets won two ABA championships in New York before becoming one of four ABA teams to be admitted into the NBA as part of the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. The team then moved back to New Jersey in 1977 and became the New Jersey Nets, the Boston Celtics were once rivals of the Nets during the early 2000s because of their respective locations and their burgeoning stars. The Nets were led by Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin, while the Celtics were experiencing newfound success behind Paul Pierce, the rivalry began to heat up in the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals, which was preceded by trash-talking from the Celtics who claimed Martin was a fake tough guy. Things progressed as the series started, and on-court tensions seemed to spill into the stands, celtic fans berated Kidd and his family with chants of Wife Beater. in response to Kidds 2001 domestic abuse charge. When the series returned to New Jersey, Nets fans responded, referring to a night club incident in 2000 in which Pierce was stabbed 11 times. When asked about the fan barbs being traded, Kenyon Martin stated, Our fans hate them, rondo was suspended for two games in the aftermath, while Wallace and Kevin Garnett were fined. The story was revisited on December 25, when Wallace grabbed Garnetts shorts and this move was billed as a merger of the two Atlantic Division teams. Celtics announcer Sean Grande said Its almost as if you found a home for these guys. You couldnt have found a better place and these guys will be in the New York market, theyll be on a competitive team, theyll stay on national TV. Its funny, because the enemy of my enemy is my friend, so with Celtics fans feeling the way they do about the Heat, feeling the way they do about the Knicks, the Nets are going to become almost the second team now

10.
Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award
–
The Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1969 NBA Finals. The award is decided by a panel of nine media members, the person with the highest votes wins the award. In at least one NBA Finals, fans balloting on NBA. com accounted for the tenth vote, the award was originally a black trophy with a gold basketball-shaped sphere at the top, similar to the Larry OBrien Trophy, until a new trophy was introduced in 2005. Since its inception, the award has given to 30 different players. Michael Jordan is a record six-time award winner, magic Johnson, Shaquille ONeal, Tim Duncan and LeBron James won the award three times in their careers. Jordan and ONeal are the players to win the award in three consecutive seasons. Johnson is the only ever to win the award, as well as the youngest at 20 years old. Andre Iguodala is the winner to have not started every game in the series. Jerry West, the first ever awardee, is the person to win the award while being on the losing team in the NBA Finals. Willis Reed, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, Olajuwon, Bryant, and James have won the award in two consecutive seasons. Abdul-Jabbar and James are the players to win the award for two different teams. Olajuwon of Nigeria, who became a naturalized U. S. citizen in 1993, Tony Parker of France, cedric Maxwell is the only Finals MVP winner eligible for the Hall of Fame who has not been voted in. NBA Most Valuable Player Award NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award General Specific

11.
NBA Most Valuable Player Award
–
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA, until the 1979–80 season, the MVP was selected by a vote of NBA players. Since the 1980–81 season, the award is decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada, each of whom casts a vote for first to fifth place selections. Each first-place vote is worth 10 points, each vote is worth seven, each third-place vote is worth five. Starting from 2010, one ballot was cast by fans through online voting, the player with the highest point total wins the award. As of May 2016, the current holder of the award is Stephen Curry, every player who has won this award and has been eligible for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has been inducted. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award a record six times, both Bill Russell and Michael Jordan won the award five times, while Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James won the award four times. Russell and James are the players to have won the award four times in five seasons. Moses Malone, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson each won the three times, while Bob Pettit, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash and Stephen Curry have each won it twice. Only two rookies have won the award, Wilt Chamberlain in the 1959–60 season and Wes Unseld in the 1968–69 season. Hakeem Olajuwon of Nigeria, Tim Duncan of the U. S. Virgin Islands, Steve Nash of Canada, Stephen Curry in 2015–16 is the only player to have won the award unanimously. Shaquille ONeal in 1999–2000 and LeBron James in 2012–13 are the two players to have fallen one vote shy of a unanimous selection, both receiving 120 of 121 votes. Since the 1982–83 season, every winner was from a team won at least 50 games in the regular season that year. Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award NBA Development League Most Valuable Player Award General Specific

12.
NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award
–
The National Basketball Association All-Star Game Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given to the player voted best of the annual All-Star Game. The award was established in 1953 when NBA officials decided to designate an MVP for each years game, the league also re-honored players from the previous two All-Star Games. Ed Macauley and Paul Arizin were selected as the 1951 and 1952 MVP winners respectively, the voting is conducted by a panel of media members, who cast their vote after the conclusion of the game. The player with the most votes or ties for the most votes wins the award, no All-Star Game MVP was named in 1999 since the game was canceled due to the leagues lockout. As of 2017, the most recent recipient is New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, bob Pettit and Kobe Bryant are the only two players to win the All-Star Game MVP four times. James first All-Star MVP in 2006 made him the youngest to have won the award at the age of 21 years,1 month. Kyrie Irving, winner of the 2014 All-Star Game MVP, is the second-youngest at 21 years,10 months, theyre notable as being the two youngest to win the award, both as Cleveland Cavaliers. Four of the games had joint winners—Elgin Baylor and Pettit in 1959, John Stockton and Malone in 1993, ONeal and Tim Duncan in 2000, ONeal became the first player in All-Star history to share two MVP awards. The Los Angeles Lakers have had eleven winners while the Boston Celtics have had eight, Duncan of the U. S. Virgin Islands and Irving of Australia are the only winners not born in the United States. Both Duncan and Irving are American citizens, but are considered international players by the NBA because they were not born in one of the fifty states or Washington, D. C. No player trained entirely outside the U. S. has won the award, bob Pettit and Russell Westbrook are the only players to win consecutive awards. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has the distinction of playing in the most All-Star Games without winning the All-Star Game MVP, NBA Most Valuable Player Award Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award List of NBA All-Stars General Specific

13.
All-NBA First Team
–
The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States, the team has been selected in every season of the leagues existence, dating back to its inaugural season in 1946. The All-NBA Team originally had two teams, but since 1988 it is composed of three five-man lineups—a first, second, and third team, typically comprising a total of 15 roster spots. Players receive five points for a first team vote, three points for a team vote, and one point for a third team vote. The five players with the highest point totals make the first team, with the next five making the second team, in the case of a tie at the fifth position of any team, the roster is expanded. If the first team consists of six due to a tie. A tie has occurred once, in 1952, when Bob Davies. From 1946 to 1955, players were selected without regard to position, however, since 1956, kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan hold the record for the most total selections with fifteen. Karl Malone and Shaquille ONeal follow with fourteen total honors, while Schayes, Bob Cousy, Jerry West, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dirk Nowitzki, and LeBron James have twelve selections. From the 1946–47 season to 1954–55 season, the All-NBA Team was composed of two teams, each with five spots, except when there were ties. During this period, players were selected without regard to position, from the 1955–56 season to 1987–88 season, the All-NBA Team was composed of two teams, each with five roster spots, except when there were ties. During this time, players were selected with regard to position, they are listed according to position in the descending order. Since the 1988–89 season, the All-NBA Team has been composed of three teams, each with five spots, except when there are ties. Players are selected with regard to position, they are listed according to position in the descending order. The following table lists players with at least ten total selections. National Basketball Association portal All-NBA Development League Team General Specific

14.
All-NBA Second Team
–
The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States, the team has been selected in every season of the leagues existence, dating back to its inaugural season in 1946. The All-NBA Team originally had two teams, but since 1988 it is composed of three five-man lineups—a first, second, and third team, typically comprising a total of 15 roster spots. Players receive five points for a first team vote, three points for a team vote, and one point for a third team vote. The five players with the highest point totals make the first team, with the next five making the second team, in the case of a tie at the fifth position of any team, the roster is expanded. If the first team consists of six due to a tie. A tie has occurred once, in 1952, when Bob Davies. From 1946 to 1955, players were selected without regard to position, however, since 1956, kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan hold the record for the most total selections with fifteen. Karl Malone and Shaquille ONeal follow with fourteen total honors, while Schayes, Bob Cousy, Jerry West, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dirk Nowitzki, and LeBron James have twelve selections. From the 1946–47 season to 1954–55 season, the All-NBA Team was composed of two teams, each with five spots, except when there were ties. During this period, players were selected without regard to position, from the 1955–56 season to 1987–88 season, the All-NBA Team was composed of two teams, each with five roster spots, except when there were ties. During this time, players were selected with regard to position, they are listed according to position in the descending order. Since the 1988–89 season, the All-NBA Team has been composed of three teams, each with five spots, except when there are ties. Players are selected with regard to position, they are listed according to position in the descending order. The following table lists players with at least ten total selections. National Basketball Association portal All-NBA Development League Team General Specific

15.
NBA All-Defensive First Team
–
The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of two five-man lineups, a first and a team, comprising a total of 10 roster spots. Voting is conducted by a panel of 123 writers and broadcasters, prior to the 2013–14 NBA season, voting was performed by the NBA head coaches, who were restricted from voting for players on their own team. The players each receive two points for each first team vote and one point for second team vote. The top five players with the highest point total make the first team, in the case of a tie at the fifth position of either team, the roster is expanded. If the first team consists of six due to a tie. Ties have occurred several times, most recently in 2013 when Tyson Chandler, tim Duncan holds the record for the most total selections to the All-Defensive Team with 15. Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant follow with twelve total honors each, michael Jordan, Gary Payton, Garnett, and Bryant share the record for most NBA All-Defensive first team selections with nine. Scottie Pippen, Bobby Jones, and Duncan made the first team eight times each, walt Frazier and Dennis Rodman made the All-Defensive first team seven times. Ten players born outside the jurisdiction of the United States, plus two players born in U. S. S, on four occasions, the Defensive Player of the Year winner was not voted to the All-Defensive first team in the same year. Player of the Year winners Alvin Robertson in 1986, Dikembe Mutombo, Tyson Chandler, the following table only lists players with at least four First Team selections. National Basketball Association portal General Specific

16.
NBA Rookie of the Year Award
–
The National Basketball Associations Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given to the top rookie of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, the winner is selected by a panel of United States and Canadian sportswriters and broadcasters, each casting first, second, and third place votes. The player with the highest point total, regardless of the number of first-place votes, the most recent Rookie of the Year winner is Karl-Anthony Towns. Twenty-one winners were drafted first overall, fourteen winners have also won the NBA Most Valuable Player award in their careers, Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld earning both honors the same season. Nineteen of the forty two non-active winners have been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Three seasons had joint winners—Dave Cowens and Geoff Petrie in the 1970–71 season, Grant Hill and Jason Kidd in the 1994–95 season, five players won the award unanimously – Ralph Sampson, David Robinson, Blake Griffin, Damian Lillard, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Prior to the 1952–53 season, the Rookie of the Year was selected by newspaper writers, however, National Basketball Association portal NBA Development League Rookie of the Year Award NBA Rookie of the Month Award General Specific

17.
50 Greatest Players in NBA History
–
The 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History were chosen in 1996 to honor the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association. These fifty players were selected through a vote by a panel of members, former players and coaches. In addition, the top ten coaches and top ten single-season teams in NBA history were selected by media members as part of the celebration. The fifty players had to have played at least a portion of their careers in the NBA and were selected irrespective of position played, the announcement marked the beginning of a season-long celebration of the leagues anniversary. Forty-seven of the fifty players were assembled in Cleveland, during the halftime ceremony of the 1997 All-Star Game. At the time of the announcement, eleven players were active, oNeal was the last to be active in the NBA, retiring at the end of the 2010–11 season. The list was made through unranked voting completed by fifty selected panelists, of the last group, thirteen were former NBA players. Players were prohibited from voting for themselves, only three voting veterans were not selected to the team. Eleven players were active in the 1996–97 season, during which the team was announced, oNeal was the last to be active in the NBA, retiring at the end of the 2010–11 season. All of the players have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Lenny Wilkens was the member of the players list to have been selected as a member of the coaches list. At the time of the list, only Pete Maravich was deceased, since then, Wilt Chamberlain, Dave DeBusschere, Paul Arizin, George Mikan, Bill Sharman, Moses Malone, Dolph Schayes and Nate Thurmond have all died. Note, Statistics are correct through the end of the 2010–11 season, alongside the selection of the 50 greatest players, was the selection of the Top 10 Coaches in NBA History. The list was compiled based upon unranked selection undertaken exclusively by members of the print, all 10 coaches named were alive at the time of the lists announcement, and four of them—Phil Jackson, Don Nelson, Pat Riley, and Lenny Wilkens—were then active. Four have since died, Red Holzman in 1998, Red Auerbach in 2006, Chuck Daly in 2009, Jackson was the last of the ten to coach in the NBA, he announced his retirement after the 2010–11 season. Nelson was the member to have never won a championship as a coach. Wilkens was the member of the coaches list to have been selected as a member of the players list. Nine of the ten coaches are members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

18.
Rebound (basketball)
–
In basketball, a rebound, colloquially referred to as a board, is a statistic awarded to a player who retrieves the ball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds are also given to a player who tips in a shot on his teams offensive end. Rebounds in basketball are a part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made. A rebound can be grabbed by either a player or a defensive player. The majority of rebounds are defensive because the team on defense tends to be in position to recover missed shots. Offensive rebounds give the team another opportunity to score whether right away or by resetting the offense. A block is not considered a rebound, a ball does not need to actually rebound off the rim or backboard for a rebound to be credited. Rebounds are credited after any missed shot, including air balls, if a player takes a shot and misses and the ball bounces on the ground before someone picks it up, then the person who picks up the ball is credited for a rebound. Rebounds are credited to the first player that gains possession of the ball or to the player that successfully deflects the ball into the basket for a score. A rebound is credited to a team when it gains possession of the ball after any missed shot that is not cleared by a single player, great rebounders tend to be tall and strong. Because height is so important, most rebounds are made by centers and power forwards, the lack of height can sometimes be compensated by the strength to box out taller players away from the ball to capture the rebound. For example, Charles Barkley once led the league in rebounding despite usually being much shorter than his counterparts, also, some shorter guards can be excellent rebounders as well such as point guard Jason Kidd who led the New Jersey Nets in rebounding for several years. Great rebounders must also have a sense of timing and positioning. Great leaping ability is an important asset, but not absolutely necessary, players such as Larry Bird and Moses Malone were excellent rebounders, but were never known for their leaping ability. Bird has stated, Most rebounds are taken below the rim, the action can also be called blocking out. A team can be boxed out by players using this technique to stop the other team from rebounding. Because fighting for a rebound can be physical, rebounding is often regarded as grunt work or a hustle play. Overly aggressive boxing out or preventing being boxed out can lead to personal fouls, statistics of a players rebounds per game or rebounding average measure a players rebounding effectiveness by dividing the number of rebounds by the number of games played

19.
National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame
–
The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Kansas City, Missouri, is a hall of fame and museum dedicated to mens college basketball. The museum is a portion of the College Basketball Experience created by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. The hall is meant as a complement to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, on November 17,2006 the NABC honored around 180 players, coaches and other notable contributors to college basketball by inducting them into the founding class of the Hall of Fame. Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Dean Smith, John Wooden, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts has indicated it will help with the exhibits. The other interactive portions of the College Basketball Experience are called The Entry Experience, The Fan Experience, the NABC recently renamed the Guardians Classic college tournament the CBE Classic to help promote it

20.
Basketball
–
Basketball is a non-contact team sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of five players each. The objective is to shoot a ball through a hoop 18 inches in diameter and 10 feet high that is mounted to a backboard at each end of the court. The game was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith, a team can score a field goal by shooting the ball through the basket being defended by the opposition team during regular play. A field goal scores three points for the team if the player shoots from behind the three-point line. A team can also score via free throws, which are worth one point, the team with the most points at the end of the game wins, but additional time is mandated when the score is tied at the end of regulation. The ball can be advanced on the court by passing it to a teammate and it is a violation to lift, or drag, ones pivot foot without dribbling the ball, to carry it, or to hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling. The game has many techniques for displaying skill—ball-handling, shooting, passing, dribbling, dunking, shot-blocking. The point guard directs the on court action of the team, implementing the coachs game plan, Basketball is one of the worlds most popular and widely viewed sports. Outside North America, the top clubs from national leagues qualify to continental championships such as the Euroleague, the FIBA Basketball World Cup attracts the top national teams from around the world. Each continent hosts regional competitions for teams, like EuroBasket. The FIBA Womens Basketball World Cup features the top womens basketball teams from continental championships. The main North American league is the WNBA, whereas the EuroLeague Women has been dominated by teams from the Russian Womens Basketball Premier League, in early December 1891, Canadian Dr. He sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied, after rejecting other ideas as either too rough or poorly suited to walled-in gymnasiums, he wrote the basic rules and nailed a peach basket onto a 10-foot elevated track. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball and these laces could cause bounce passes and dribbling to be unpredictable. Eventually a lace-free ball construction method was invented, and this change to the game was endorsed by Naismith, dribbling was not part of the original game except for the bounce pass to teammates. Passing the ball was the means of ball movement. Dribbling was eventually introduced but limited by the shape of early balls. Dribbling only became a part of the game around the 1950s

21.
Pan American Games
–
The Pan-American or Pan American Games is a major sporting event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held among athletes from nations of the Americas, the only Winter Pan American Games were held in 1990. The Pan American Sports Organization is the body of the Pan American Games movement, whose structure. The XVII Pan American Games were held in Toronto from July 10–26,2015, since 2007, host cities are contracted to manage both the Pan American and the Parapan American Games, in which athletes with physical disabilities compete with one another. The Parapan American Games are held following the Pan American Games. The Pan American Games Movement consists of sports federations, National Olympic Committees that are recognized by PASO. As the decision-making body, PASO is responsible for choosing the host city for each Pan American Games, the host city is responsible for organizing and funding a celebration of the Games consistent with the Olympic Charter and rules. The Pan American Games program, consisting of the sports to be contested at the Games, is determined by PASO, the celebration of the Games encompasses many rituals and symbols, such as the flag and torch, and the opening and closing ceremonies. Over 5,000 athletes compete at the Pan American Games in 36 sports, the first, second, and third-place finishers in each event receive gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively. At the first Pan American Sports Congress, held in Buenos Aires in 1940, the plans had to be postponed because of World War II. A second Pan American Sports Congress held in London during the 1948 Summer Olympics reconfirmed Buenos Aires as the choice of host city for the inaugural games, countries that were part of the Commonwealth of Nations such as Canada did not compete at the first Pan American Games. The second games were held in Mexico City, Mexico, competitions started on March 12 and included 2,583 athletes from 22 countries, competing in 17 sports. The Pan American Games were held every four years in the cities of Chicago, United States in 1959, São Paulo, Brazil in 1963 and Winnipeg. While the inaugural 1951 Games hosted 2,513 participants representing 14 nations, during the games most athletes and officials are housed in the Pan American Games village. This village is intended to be a home for all the participants. It is furnished with cafeterias, health clinics, and locations for religious expression, PASO allows nations to compete that do not meet the strict requirements for political sovereignty that other international organizations demand. As a result, colonies and dependencies are permitted to set up their own National Olympic Committees, examples of this include territories such as Puerto Rico and Bermuda which compete as separate nations despite being legally under the jurisdiction of another power. There have been attempts to hold Winter Pan American Games throughout the history of the games, reliable winter snow in the Americas is limited to two countries, the United States and Canada

22.
1963 Pan American Games
–
The 4th Pan American Games were held from April 20 to May 5,1963, in São Paulo, Brazil. To sort this table by nation, total medal count, or any other column, note A The medal counts for the United States, Canada and Argentina are disputed. For the first time in the Pan American Games, two cities bid for the right of hosting the games, São Paulo was chosen as the host city after beating Winnipeg, Canada by 18 votes against 5. Winnipeg later went on to host the following 1967 Winnipeg, according to the Brazilian Olympic Committee, twenty-two nations sent competitors to São Paulo, but only twenty-one were listed. Barbados took part in the Pan American Games for the first time, costa Rica, Haiti, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic competed in 1959 but did not participate in the 1963 Games. The games used 11 different venues

23.
FIBA Basketball World Cup
–
It is considered to be the flagship event of the International Basketball Federation. The world championship is considered to be just as prestigious as the basketball gold medal. The championship has held every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1950. The tournament structure is similar, but not identical, to that of the FIFA World Cup, a parallel event for womens teams, now known as the FIBA Womens Basketball World Cup, is also held quadrennially. From 1986 through 2014, the mens and womens championships were held in the same year, the current format of the tournament involves 24 teams competing for the title at venues within the host nation. The winning team receives the Naismith Trophy, first awarded in 1967, the current champions are the United States, who defeated Serbia in the final of the 2014 tournament. Following the 2014 FIBA championships for men and women, the mens World Cup was scheduled on a new four-year cycle to avoid conflict with the FIFA World Cup, the next mens World Cup will be held in 2019, in the year following the FIFA World Cup. All FIBA World Championship/World Cup tournaments from the 1994 edition onward, are considered as fully professional level tournaments. The FIBA Basketball World Cup was conceived at a meeting of the FIBA World Congress at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. Long-time FIBA Secretary-General Renato William Jones urged FIBA to adopt a World Championship, similar to the FIFA World Cup, the FIBA Congress, seeing how successful the 23-team Olympic tournament was that year, agreed to the proposal, beginning with a tournament in 1950. Argentina was selected as host, largely because it was the country willing to take on the task. Argentina took advantage of the host selection, winning all their games en route to becoming the first FIBA World Champion, the first five tournaments were held in South America, and teams from the Americas dominated the tournament, winning eight of nine medals at the first three tournaments. By 1963, however, teams from Eastern Europe and Southeast Europe, between 1963 and 1990, the tournament was dominated by the United States, the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and Brazil who together accounted for every medal at the tournament. United States dominated that year and won gold, while former states of USSR and Yugoslavia - Russia and Croatia - won Silver, the 1998 FIBA World Championship, held in Greece, lost some of its luster when the 1998–99 NBA lockout prevented the American professional players from participating. New Yugoslavian team, now consisting of the former Yugoslav republics of Serbia and Montenegro, won the gold medal over Russia, while USA, playing with amateur players, in 2002 other nations eventually caught up to the four powerhouse countries and their successor states. Meanwhile, the United States team, made up entirely of NBA players and this new era of parity convinced FIBA to expand the tournament to 24 teams for 2006,2010 and 2014 editions of the tournament. In 2006, emerging powerhouse Spain beat Greece in the first appearance in the final for both teams, Spain became only the seventh team to capture a World Championship gold. The USA, who lost to Greece in a semifinal, beat Argentina in 3rd place match, in 2010 FIBA World Championship final the USA beat Turkey and won gold for first time in 16 years, while Lithuania beat Serbia and won bronze

24.
1963 FIBA World Championship
–
The 1963 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Brazil. The Philippines was originally supposed to host the tournament but FIBA revoked hosting rights after the country refused to grant visas to players from communist countries, a separate seven nation tournament was hosted by the Philippines instead. Among the teams which was participated are the United States, Canada, the United States won title of the Philippines-hosted tournament. The FIBA World Championship was held in 1963 in Brazil, FIBA suspended the original host country Philippines after Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal refused to allow players from Yugoslavia and other communist countries to enter the host country. Brazil being the defending Champion and a previous host, fairly manage to re-host the Championship, later, the Philippines, despite being the Asian champion, was forced to play in a pre-Olympic tournament in order to qualify in the 1964 Summer Olympics. Preliminary round, Three groups of four teams play each other once, classification round, All bottom two teams from preliminary round group play each other once. The team with the best record is ranked eighth, the worst is ranked 13th, final round, All top two teams from preliminary round group, the 1960 Olympic champion, and the host team play each other once. The team with the best record wins the championship

25.
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
–
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as the sports most complete library, in addition to promoting and preserving the history of basketball, dedicated to Canadian physician and inventor of the sport James Naismith, it was opened and inducted its first class in 1959. As of the induction of the Class of 2016 on September 9,2016, the Naismith Hall of Fame was established in 1959 by Lee Williams, a former athletic director at Colby College. In the 1960s, the Basketball Hall of Fame struggled to raise money for the construction of its first facility. The Basketball Hall of Fames Board named four inductees in its first year, in addition to honoring those who contributed to basketball, the Hall of Fame sought to make contributions of its own. In 1979, the Hall of Fame sponsored the Tip-Off Classic and this Tip-Off Classic has been the start to the college basketball season ever since, and although it does not always take place in Springfield, Massachusetts, generally it returns every few years. In the 17 years that the original Basketball Hall of Fame operated at Springfield College, the popularity of the Basketball Hall of Fame necessitated that a new facility be constructed, and in 1985, an $11 million facility was built beside the scenic Connecticut River in Springfield. As the new hall opened, it also recognized women for the first time, with such as Senda Berenson Abbott. In 2002, the Basketball Hall of Fame moved again—albeit merely 100 yards south along Springfields riverfront—into a $47 million facility designed by renowned architects Gwathmey Siegel & Associates, the buildings architecture features a metallic silver, basketball-shaped sphere flanked by two similarly symmetrical rhombuses. The dome is illuminated at night and features 80,000 square foot, including numerous restaurants, the second Basketball Hall of Fame was not torn down but rather converted into an LA Fitness health clubs. The current Basketball Hall of Fame features Center Court, a basketball court on which visitors can play. Inside the building there are a gallery, many interactive exhibits, several theaters. A large theater for ceremonies seats up to 300, the honorees inducted in 2002 included the Harlem Globetrotters and Magic Johnson, a five-time NBA champion, three-time NBA finals MVP and Olympic gold medalist. As of 2011, the current Basketball Hall of Fame has greatly exceeded attendance expectations, despite the new facilitys success, a logistical problem remains for the Basketball Hall of Fame and the City of Springfield. Urban planners at universities such as UMass Amherst have called for the I-91 to be moved, in 2010, the Urban Land Institute announced a plan to make the walk between Springfields Metro Center and the Hall of Fame easier. Since 2011, the induction process employs a total of seven committees to both screen and elect candidates, since 2011, the Veterans and International Committees also vote to directly induct one candidate for each induction class. Contributor Direct Election Committee Note that other committees may choose to elect contributors, for example, the 2014 class included two contributors. However, each screening committee is limited as to the number of candidates it can put forth to the Honors Committee—10 from the North American Committee, any individual receiving at least 18 affirmative votes from the Honors Committee is approved for induction into the Hall of Fame

26.
NBA Finals
–
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association played between the Western and Eastern champions of the Conference Finals. The first team to win four games in the game series is declared the league champion and is awarded the Larry OBrien Championship Trophy. Winners from 1946 to 1983 received the Walter A. Brown Trophy redesigned in 1977 to the current form, the NBA Finals has been played at the end of every NBA and Basketball Association of America season in history, the first being held in 1947. Most NBA Finals series were played under the 2–2–1–1–1 format prior to 1985, the series was named the BAA Finals from 1947 to 1949 and then changed to the NBA World Championship Series from 1950 to 1982. The following two years, the league used Showdown 83 and Showdown 84 and it returned to NBA World Championship Series in 1985, before settling on NBA Finals in 1986. During the first decade the Minneapolis Lakers had the first NBA dynasty, the team also featured George Mikan, one of the greatest players in NBA history. The Boston Celtics went 11–1 in the NBA Finals during 13 seasons and they won eight straight NBA championships from 1959 through 1966. With the establishment of the Celtics dynasty in 1957, Bill Russell became the star of the league, Game 7 of the NBA Finals was decided on a Celtics basket in the final seconds of the second overtime. For most of the late 1950s and 1960s, the Celtics always seemed to have the hand on Wilt Chamberlains teams. The following season, he joined the Philadelphia 76ers, the former Syracuse Nationals team that had moved to cover the vacancy created with the departure of the Warriors, a clash between the two stars in the playoffs was in 1966 and Boston won it 4–1. Chamberlains coach told him to play a game, not an individual game. His new-found team spirit brought them to a new record of 68 wins the season, and they defeated the Celtics and then advanced to, and won. In 1968, Boston overcame a 3–1 deficit against Philadelphia to once again arrive in the Finals and they went on to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers for the sixth straight time,4 games to 2. In 1969, the Celtics overcame even longer odds, Boston was an aging team and had injuries to a number of players. They barely qualified for the playoffs, finishing fourth in the East, the Lakers, who in the offseason added Chamberlain to join West and Elgin Baylor, won the West and were prohibitive favorites to finally win it all for the first time since relocating to L. A. They won the first two games at the Los Angeles Forum, however, when the series shifted to Boston Garden, the Celtics won Game 3 110–105. Game 4 was the point, as the Lakers led 87–86 and had the ball with 10 seconds to play. But after a turnover, Sam Jones put up a shot hit the front of the rim, the back heel, rolled around

27.
Dubach, Louisiana
–
Dubach is a town in Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 961 at the 2010 census, an increase from 800 in 2000, Dubach High School, located centrally in the town, is noted for fielding good athletic teams in basketball and often defeats teams from much larger towns and cities. Dubach is also known as the Dogtrot Capital of the World because of the presence of numerous nearby dogtrot houses, Dubach is part of the Ruston Micropolitan Statistical Area. Dubach also had a baseball team, part of the North Louisiana Big 8. Despite its small size, the team had no trouble recruiting players, in the fall of 2005, Dubach voters defeated a bond issue that would have funded renovations to Hico Elementary and Dubach High schools. Despite a well-spoken campaign by high school principal Donna Doss, voters killed the issue by a wide margin, local media speculated that the economic effects of Hurricane Katrina may have swayed voters to err on the side of caution with regards to new taxation. Dubach is located at 32°41′59″N 92°39′26″W, according to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.5 square miles, of which,1.4 square miles of it is land and 0.04 square miles of it is water. As of the census of 2000, there were 800 people,341 households, the population density was 561.6 people per square mile. There were 390 housing units at a density of 273.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 64. 62% White,34. 88% African American,0. 38% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 1. 00% of the population. 27. 3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16. 1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.83. In the town, the population was out with 24. 9% under the age of 18,10. 1% from 18 to 24,25. 5% from 25 to 44,20. 4% from 45 to 64. The median age was 36 years, for every 100 females there were 75.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.2 males, the median income for a household in the town was $24,531, and the median income for a family was $30,000. Males had an income of $32,353 versus $16,538 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,306, about 17. 3% of families and 20. 2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30. 5% of those under age 18 and 16. 5% of those age 65 or over. The Autrey house just west of town is the oldest home in the area and is an excellent example of the early, Dubach is also home to the Louisiana Chicken Festival, held in late September. Fishing and hunting in the area are among the best in the south, the area woods teem with wildlife, including, squirrel, deer, bobcat, raccoons—even bear and panther

28.
Lincoln Parish, Louisiana
–
Lincoln Parish is a parish located in the U. S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 46,735, the parish was created on February 24,1873 from parts of Bienville, Claiborne, Union, and Jackson parishes, and its boundaries have changed only once. This makes Lincoln parish one of the Reconstruction parishes, Lincoln Parish comprises the Ruston, LA Micropolitan Statistical Area. At sites such as Watson Brake, Frenchmans Bend, and Caney, generations of hunter-gatherers worked for hundreds of years to build, hedgepeth Site, located in Lincoln Parish, is dated about 5200-4500 BP, from the latter part of this period. Such finds are changing the understanding of human cultures. It was an attempt to break up the old order of political power, the parish is named for the late U. S. president Abraham Lincoln. In 1934, the historian Robert W, another Louisiana Tech faculty member, Robert C. Snyder, was instrumental in the establishment in 1962 of the Lincoln Parish Library and he served as the library board president for many years. Lincoln Parish is usually Republican in contested elections, in 2012, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney won the parish with 10,739 votes to U. S. President Barack H. Obama, the Democrat who polled 7,956 ballots. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the parish has an area of 472 square miles. 55. 2% were White,40. 5% Black or African American,1. 7% Asian,0. 3% Native American,0. 1% Pacific Islander,1. 3% of some other race and 1. 1% of two or more races. As of the census of 2000, there were 42,509 people,15,235 households, the population density was 90 people per square mile. There were 17,000 housing units at a density of 36 per square mile. 1. 16% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,27. 00% of all households were made up of individuals and 9. 40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the family size was 3.01. In the parish the population was out with 22. 10% under the age of 18,25. 70% from 18 to 24,23. 20% from 25 to 44,17. 60% from 45 to 64. The median age was 26 years, for every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males, the median income for a household in the parish was $26,977, and the median income for a family was $38,972

29.
Racial segregation in the United States
–
Legal segregation of schools was stopped in the U. S. by federal enforcement of a series of Supreme Court decisions after Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. All legally enforced public segregation was abolished by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and it passed after demonstrations during the Civil Rights Movement resulted in public opinion turning against enforced segregation. De facto segregation—segregation in fact, without sanction of law—persists in varying degrees to the present day, the contemporary racial segregation seen in the United States in residential neighborhoods has been shaped by public policies, mortgage discrimination, and redlining, among other factors. Hypersegregation is a form of segregation that consists of the geographical grouping of racial groups. Most often, this occurs in cities where the residents of the city are African Americans. As a result, Federal occupation troops in the South assured blacks the right to vote, the Reconstruction amendments asserted the supremacy of the national state and the formal equality under the law of everyone within it. However it did not prohibit segregation in schools, when the Republicans came to power in the Southern states after 1867, they created the first system of taxpayer-funded public schools. Southern Blacks wanted public schools for their children but they did not demand racially integrated schools, almost all the new public schools were segregated, apart from a few in New Orleans. After the Republicans lost power in the mid-1870s, conservative whites retained the school systems. Almost all private academies and colleges in the South were strictly segregated by race, the American Missionary Association supported the development and establishment of several historically black colleges, such as Fisk University and Shaw University. In this period, a handful of northern colleges accepted black students, Northern denominations and their missionary associations especially established private schools across the South to provide secondary education. They provided an amount of collegiate work. Tuition was minimal, so churches supported the colleges financially, in 1900 churches—mostly based in the North—operated 247 schools for blacks across the South, with a budget of about $1 million. They employed 1600 teachers and taught 46,000 students, prominent schools included Howard University, a federal institution based in Washington, Fisk University in Nashville, Atlanta University, Hampton Institute in Virginia, and many others. Most new colleges in the 19th century were founded in northern states, Jim Crow segregation began somewhat later, in the 1880s. Disfranchisement of the began in the 1890s. By 1910, Segregation was firmly established across the South and most of the border region, the legitimacy of laws requiring segregation of blacks was upheld by the U. S. Supreme Court in the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson,163 U. S.537. Plessy thus allowed segregation, which became standard throughout the southern United States, everyone was supposed to receive the same public services, but with separate facilities for each race